A Serendipitous Meeting
by watchitstark
Summary: Hermione had just gone to catch up with her friend Draco, and hadn't been expecting to make another friend along the way. HG/NM friendship. Written for the Mix and Match Pairing Competition.


**Challenge**: Mix and Match Pairing Competiton - Round Two  
**Challenger**: Cheeky Slytherin Lass  
**Pairing**: Hermione Granger/Narcissa Malfoy (friendship)  
**Prompts**: The Three Broomsticks, "It's four in the bloody morning", clear

Hermione grinned as she came over to the table, setting a mug of Butterbeer in front of Draco before she'd even noticed that there was another person sat with him that she had not been expecting.

"Mrs Malfoy!" she exclaimed in surprise, her eyes opening wide as she put down her own drink. "Draco didn't tell me you were coming otherwise I would have got you something," she unwound her scarf and removed her coat, draping them over the back of her chair before she had even sat down. "I can go back?" she offered.

"Are you sure you don't mind?" she asked quietly, smiling softly.

"No of course not, what would you like?"

"A gin and tonic, please."

"Alright I'll be right back," she grinned at them again, and Draco was thankful that she did not seem at all bothered that he had brought his mother along.

"Here you go," she was still smiling as she sat down, passing Narcissa her beverage, who murmured a quiet "thank you" and took a sip, seeming to relax as she realised her presence was not going to be contested.

"So Draco, how's the job?" Hermione asked with a grin, referring to the fact that he had recently passed his Healer exams finally and had taken a junior position at St Mungos.

"It's amazing," he said with a grin.

"Amazingly tiring more like," Narcissa interjected with a smile. "He comes home looking like he hasn't sat down for his entire shift."

"There's a lot to learn," he laughed. "You love the fact that I'm so tired all the time anyway because it means that I don't harrass you and attempt to convince you to make me dinner every evening."

"He doesn't?" Hermione asked, fake gasping.

"He used to, back when he was still studying. Now he just seems to eat anything that has no preparation time at all, and then he disappears to collapse into bed."

"It's getting better as I'm getting more used to it," he shrugged. "Like today I don't feel that awful even though I did an eight hour shift before coming here. It's fun, even as it's tiring."

"It's so fun neither of us noticed that we hadn't met up in two months."

Draco laughed, shaking his blonde head. "I can't believe I've been working there for so long. How's your work been?"

"Oh same old same old."

Some time later Hermione was giggling her way through an old story that Draco was telling his mother about their exploits at university, something about how one of Hermione's girlfriends had propositioned Draco and it turned out she was dating Hermione to get closer to him.

"Why do you always tell everyone about this one, what about all of the girls that used to follow me around?" she whined. "I was more famous than you."

"I know, which is why I like to tell this one, it restores my ego to its usual size," he laughed.

"Draco's never actually explained how you two became friends?" Narcissa interrupted before it could regress into a playful argument.

"Well it's freshers week at Oxford and I'm getting settled into halls, and so is everyone else, so I think I'll just go round and introduce myself, see what everyone's like, if they're going to come out tonight, and I step into our floor's kitchen area and Draco appears," Hermione starts.

"And then we just kind of stared at each other for a long moment, at which point I put my hand out to shake and say "I'm Draco Malfoy, and I'd like to apologise for the last eight years of our lives.""

"And I shook his hand and replied with "I'm Hermione Granger, and I'd like to say that I don't blame or hate you any more." And then we went out and got drunk," Hermione finished, grinning.

"It seemed like it was impossible, that I would ever get to enjoy a drink with you," Narcissa smiled. "I'm glad that you two met, and it has enabled this."

"Me too," Hermione said quietly, and the two smiled at each other.

Draco finished his drink and stood, slinging his coat on. "I'm going to head off, I've got a shift tomorrow even if it is an afternoon one," he waved down protests and wrapped his scarf snugly around his neck. "You two stay and have fun, maybe even get drunk," he laughed. "You both need to get out more often and now that I got you out, I would hope that you'll stay out."

"I'll see you soon then," Hermione said sternly. "No waiting two months this time."

"Send me a text or something," He pecked them both on the cheek , murmuring goodbyes, and then sauntered out of the Three Broomsticks, his gait still confident but notably different from how it had been at Hogwarts.

Much later they found themselves being thrown out of the pub, breathing in the clear air and wondering whether it was time to go home. "Are you heading home?" Hermione asked with a smile as they stood slightly awkwardly in the middle of the road.

"Well it is four in the bloody morning," she laughed, shrugging. "It's not like anywhere else will be open at this time, surely?" she swayed a little, feeling the effects of the numerous alcoholic beverages she had consumed.

"Well technically my liquor cupboard is always open," she grinned, attempting to help the older woman's balance when hers wasn't exactly fantastic.

"Why Miss Granger are you inviting me in for a nightcap?" she teased, laughing at the way Hermione's cheeks went red and she scuffed her feet nervously, searching for a suitable response.

"I - no - I just," she spluttered and then laughed, shaking her head at the older woman. "You're hilarious. I'm taking that to mean that you are refusing my friendly request, and I shall see you at some point, hopefully soon."

"I am glad Draco managed to convince me to come out tonight, I did not realise how much time I had let go past without going out."

"At least this means that while Draco is too busy working to see either of us we can always hang out without him," Hermione smiled warmly and kissed her gently on the cheek. "I had a good night."

"Me too," Narcissa said softly, smiling. "I'll see you sometime soon." And with that the two of them apparated away.


End file.
